What is the difference between Generics and Brand-Name Drugs?
A Brand-Name drug is marketed under a specific trade name by a pharmaceutical manufacturer. In most cases, Brand-Name drugs are still under patent protection, meaning the manufacturer is the sole source for the product. However some countries do not recognize such patents or have a different period of protection. Generic alternatives are therefore often legally available worldwide even before such protection has been lifted on a new drug in the US. A generic drug is made with the same active ingredients and in the same dosage form as a brand name drug. The generic drug is therapeutically equivalent to the brand name drug but is sold under its chemical or “generic” name.
